HILLSONG Church head Brian Houston told thousands of his followers it was wrong of him not to report his paedophile father to police, but said other senior church leaders also knew and did nothing.

Giving his first sermon at Hillsong’s church-cum-convention centre at Baulkham Hills yesterday since testifying last week at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Mr Houston said no one advised him to report his pastor father Frank after he was told in 1999 that Frank had molested a boy in a Sydney household in the 1970s.

Mr Houston told the congregation of more than 3000 that the victim, known as AHA, whom his late father tried to buy forgiveness from with $10,000, did not want the allegations investigated by the police or the church.

“You had a situation where this was the first time I had ever heard about my father’s abuses. There was victim, a survivor, who was adamant he did not want a police investigation and he didn’t want a church investigation,” he said.

“So I genuinely believed at the time, by the way no one gave me any advice to counter this, that if he wanted to go the police, he was 36, he could. Obviously if it was someone who was still a child we would have had no choice but to report it. It seems I was wrong and that will form part of the findings.”

Mr Houston also read out a prepared statement in which he said media reports of his testimony did not give the “full story” and headlines could be “misleading”.

He said paying victim AHA had nothing to do with him despite the royal commission hearing the victim had contacted him about Frank Houston failing to pay as promised.

Two weeks later the $10,000 cheque was delivered.

“There have been reports of money being paid to the victim. Again for clarification, this was between my father and the victim. It had nothing to do with me or Hillsong Church,” he said.

The commission had heard Hillsong founder Brian Houston was national president of the Assemblies of God Church from 1997 to 2009 and in charge when his father was outed as a serial paedophile. It also heard the episodes of sexual abuse of seven boys by Frank Houston happened in the 1960s and 70s. All but one, AHA, were abused in New Zealand where Frank Houston preached.

In yesterday’s sermon, Mr Houston denied the church tried to cover up the abuse.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Post navigation

8 thoughts on “Hillsong’s claptraps, cheap claps & bad raps”

“You will also notice that in the above clip, Hillsong edited out Brian Houston’s second statement and sermon.”

In fact, you are only partially correct. The statement was edited out, but the sermon was not. See for yourself. The YouTube video is around 75 mins, the statement was about 12 mins, and one song was also edited out of probably around 3 mins which adds up to a 90 mins service. http://youtu.be/sq7M0JWw9dc

The statement is on the Hillsong website, as you already know – minus the ad libs, but News and myself filled you in about the main one anyway.

“After Brian Houston’s abysmal behaviour at the Royal Commission and the emerging shocking revelations of his poor leadership over his dad, it was reported to us that only a select few of Brian’s pastors came to support him at the Royal Commission. No family. No church members.”

Hillsong United, whose lead singer is Joel Houston, was originally scheduled to sing live at the Dove Awards in the USA that week. They didn’t appear, with only Jonathan Douglas in attendance to collect their awards, and there was no announcement of their withdrawal from what I saw. The weekend before Joel Houston and Ben Houston both went to the NRL with Brian Houston, with Brian posting a photo on Instagram. Rather than his family abandoning Brian as you have implied, they rallied around him with Joel coming home. Just because they didn’t go to the RC it’s self means nothing.

@Newtaste – I’m just wondering why Brian’s family could not have accompanied him to the RC – after all, there are many worldly families who have supported their family members (who were facing trial/investigation) who not only appeared outside the courthouse, but also sat in the gallery, and even testified on their behalf.

Forgive me if I seem a bit cynical here Newtaste, but is that why his two sons were not there? Perhaps they may have been asked “awkward’ questions – by the attendant media, if not by the RC itself? And yes, maybe they were too young at the time to remember anything that may have been discussed after the fact of Frank Houston’s exposure?

This may seem cruel and unfair to you from your perspective, but since the truth (or part thereof) was coming out (in dribs and drabs) don’t you think it might have been important to get it all out on the table, and leave no doubt in anyone’s mind…?

For what it is worth, I don’t believe that Brian Houston and his family should be punished for his fathers sins, but if he has covered certain things up and failed to mention other things when given opportunity… It will look far worse for him if any other relevant incidents or matters were to come to light at some future date…

He may well have thought that having Bobbie and his children there may have subjected them to unnecessary turmoil. Bobbie mustn’t have been far away as they went to dinner in the city one night Brian said.

It is beyond doubt that Sydney CLC and Hills CLC and the AOG should have gone to the police. I have zero tolerance for institutions not reporting child sex abuse to the police. The pompous attitude and conduct of George Pell for many years, and even at the RC at which he appeared twice, is unfathomable. And the Catholic Church has effectively promoted him for his actions.

Brian Houston has admitted they were wrong in not going to the police, and he excepts that to be a finding of the RC. There will probably be other findings. Let’s hope that the RC means better protection for children at all institutions.

I have heard Hillsong was being “picked on” by the RC. They haven’t been. Various state, religious and independent bodies have been called before the RC for valid reasons. With the Catholic Church has been by far the worst record.

Bible Resources

Good Christian Radio Resources

Good Church Resources

Good Discernment Websites

Feeling Supportive?

Must-Read Christian Books

The opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the views of all contributors. Each individual is responsible for the facts and opinions contained in his posts. Generally we agree but not always.